Catamaran righting apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A device for righting a capsized catamaran boat of the type that has a mast which is free to pivot in any direction but which is normally held upright by three cables extending from high on the mast to respectively the front of the boat and somewhat rearwardly to each side of the boat. The righting apparatus permits a crewman at a capsized boat to elongate the side cable (shroud cable) that is out of the water and to also move the point of attachment of the lower end of the cable rearward (aft), to thereby allow the hull that is out of the water to tip away from the mast so that its weight aids in righting the boat.

bait States Newman tent [1 1 14 1 Feb. 11, 1975 1 1 CATAMARAN RIGI'ITINGAPPARATUS AND METHOD [76] Inventor: Howard F. Newman, 717 MalcolmPrimary E.\'aminerTrygve M. Blix Assistant Examiner-Sherman D. BasingerAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Seymour A. Scholnick [57] ABSTRACT A device forrighting a capsized catamaran boat of the type that has a mast which isfree to pivot in any direction but which is normally held upright bythree cables extending from high on the mast to respectively the frontof the boat and somewhat rearwardly to each side of the boat. Therighting apparatus permits a crewman at a capsized boat to elongate theside cable (shroud cable) that is out of the water and to also move thepoint of attachment of the lower end of the cable rearward (aft), tothereby allow the hull that is out of the water to tip away from themast so that its weight aids in righting the boat.

14 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEUFEBI 1 I975 SHEET 10F 3PATENIEDF'EBI 1 ms SHEET 2 OF 3 III PATENTED 3. 865.081

SHEET 3 0F 3 Q05 ace, 202

CATAMAIRAN IRIGI'ITING APPARATUS AND METHOD BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to animprovement in a multihull boat, which facilitates the righting of theboat when it capsizes.

2. Description of the Prior Art Catamaran boats are often subject tocapsizing, particularly because of high speeds and the tendency to sailwith one hull well out of the water.

Once a catamaran has capsized onto its side hull, with its mast draggingin the water, a very difficult and potentially hazardous situation iscreated. The boat is unmanageable in the capsized position and may beswept onto shore or into the path of other boats. Usual rightingoperation which the crew might conduct are very difficult and oftenimpossible. In very cold water or heavy seas or shark infested areas,the inability of the crew to promptly right a capsized catamaran createsa potentially lethal situation. For larger size catamarans, such aseighteen foot and twenty-two foot and larger catamarans, all of therighting problems are greatly increased, and the safety problemsinvolved have greatly limited the marketing of larger catamarans.

The crew usually rights the boat by attaching a righting line to theuppermost hull (the hull out of the water) and leaning backward whilestanding on the lower hull. In order for the crew to apply enoughrighting moment for even a small boat, they normally must havesubstantial weight and must be athletic enough to lean very farbackward. In most cases, a single crewman cannot right the boat, and hemust await help from another boat. A relatively simple device thatfacilitated righting of a catamaran or multihull boat would not onlymake sailing less troublesome and hazardous, but would also makepractical the safe use of larger sizes of catamarans. Such larger boatsoften permit greater speed, but have heretofore had the disadvantage ofbeing extremely difficult or impossible to right after capsizing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention, apparatus is provided which is useful on a typicalcatamaran boat to facilitate the righting of the boat after it hascapsized. The typical catamaran boat includes a mast with its lower endpositioned in a universal mount on the deck and with its upper end heldupright by three cables, including a stay cable extending forwardly anda pair-of side cables, usually called shroud cables, extending to eitherside of the boat and a small distance rearward or aft of the mast. Therighting apparatus includes a device for lengthening the ,shroud cablethat lies out of the water on a capsized boat, to permit the upper hullto be easily moved to a position where its weight can aid in therighting of the boat. The device not only lengthens the shroud cable,but also moves its hull attachment point to a position aft of theoriginal attachment point. The purpose of such movement is to preventthe mast from tipping forwardly, instead of laterally, with respect tothe hulls. Such aft movement of the attachment point of the shroud cableprevents the partially released mast from collapsing forward, thuspreventing further incapacitation of the boat during the rightingprocess. The present invention makes it practical to right capsizedcata- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofa catamaran boat constructed in accordance with the present invention,showing it in a normal sailing position;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the boat of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the boat of FIG. 1, showing itsposition on the water after capsizing;

. FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the boat afterdeployment of the righting apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 1; 7

FIG. 7 is a partial side elevation view of the boat of FIG. 1, showingsome of the details of the righting apparatus thereof;

FIG. 8 is a partial side elevation view of a righting apparatusconstructed in accordance with another emobodment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of the righting apparatus of FIG.8;

FIG. 10a is a partial side elevation view of a modified form of therighting apparatus of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10b is a partial side view of another modified form of the rightingapparatus of FIG. 8; and 7 FIG. is a partial side view of still anothermodified form of the righting apparatus of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 illustrates a typicalcatamaran boat 10 which includes a mast 20 and a lower boat portion 12formed by a pair of spaced hulls 14, 16 and a deck structure 18 forjoining them. It should be understood that in some catamarans the deckstructure 18 may be the top surface of a cabin or other centerstructure. The mast 20 is held upright on the lower boat portion 12 bythree cables that extend downwardly from the upper portion of the mast.The three cables are often referred to as the stay cable 22 whichextends to the forward end of the lower boat portion, and a pair ofshroud cables 24, 26 which extend to either side of the boat and topositions rearward, or aft, of the mast. The lower ends of the threecables 22-26 may be tied directly to the hulls 14, 16, although it isalso possible to make connections to the decking 18. A sail structure 28is mounted on the mast 20 and can pivot thereon to a variety ofpositions between the two shroud cables 24, 26. Of course, it should benoted that the items 22- 26 referred to as cables may be ropes or otherdevices that can withstand tension to hold up the mast.

The locations 30, 32, where the lower ends of the shroud cables 24, 26are attached to the lower boat portion, are ordinarily chosen as acompromise between mast stability considerations and other sailingconsiderations. Attachment locations far aft of the mast 20 would bedesirable in order to prevent the mast from tipping forwardly. However,in practice the rearward attachment of the shrouds is limited in orderto allow clearance for pivoting of the sail 28 within the widest rangeof positions in order to permit the attainmerit of the greatest possiblesailing speed. It may be noted that additional cables may be utilized tokeep the mast upright, but the two shroud cables 24, 26 normally providethe main support against forward tipping of the mast and also determinethe limits within which the sail 28 can be positioned.

The catamaran boat is capable of high speeds, and there is often atendency to allow the boat to sail in a tipped condition with one hullout of the water. For these reasons and because of sudden wind gusts,excessive tipping leading to capsizing is a common occurrence. The mostcommon condition immediately after capsizing is illustrated in FIG. 3,wherein the boat has rotated slightly more than 90 from its uprightposition, and with one hull 16 and the top of the mast lying in thewater, while another hull l4 lies out of the water. The mast 20 isconstructed so that it is buoyant, in order to minimize the possibilityof the boat turning to a complete upside-down or turtle position in thewa- 'ter. For this same purpose a float, such as a styrofoam ball, maybe mounted at the upper end of the mast to supplement the buoyancy ofthe mast alone.

Righting of a boat that is in the condition shown in FIG. 3 has beenaccomplished traditionally by tying a righting line 40 to the upper hulll4. Ordinarily several members of the crew stand on the lower hull l6and lean backward holding the line 40 so that the weight of their bodiesprovides a moment that tends to rotate the boat about the lower hull 16to an upright position. However, even relatively small sixteen footboats are difficult to right in this manner. One reason is that theweight of the upper hull l4 and much of the decking 18 or other centerstructure provide a moment about the lower hull 16 which tends to resistrighting of the boat.

In accordance with the present invention, a device is provided whichenables the boat to be changed from the configuration shown in FIG. 3 tothe configuration shown in FIG. 4, to minimize the crew weight andrighting moment which must be applied to the boat in order to move itfrom a capsized condition to an upright position or to permit it toright itself without the use of the weight of the crew. The rightingapparatus performs two functions; namely, lengthening theout-of-thewater shroud cable 24 to the length shown at 24a, and movingthe point of attachment of that shroud cable rearward to the location30a. The lengthening of the out-of-the-water shroud cable 24 permits thelower boat portion 12 to pivot with respect to the mast which does notappreciably change its position in the water. In this manner the lowerboat portion 12 undergoes the main change in position, by pivotingcloser to the position shown in FIG. 4. The lower boat portion 12 maynot automatically pivot to the position shown in FIG. 4, but a crewman Mnormally can produce such pivoting by pulling on line with only moderateeffort. With the boat in the position of FIG. 4, the upper hull l4 lieson a side of the lower hull 16 opposite the mast, which results in theweight of the upper hull tending to help in the righting of the boat. Asa consequence, a smaller or no effort and righting moment must beapplied by the crewman M to right the boat.

The attachment point 30 of the upper shroud 24 is moved rearwardly tothe position 30a to prevent forward collapsing of the mast 20 whichwould otherwise occur either while the mast is in the water or as theboat begins to right or reaches a righted position. When the uppershroud cable 24 is lengthened, it allows the mast 20 to pivot not onlytowards the other side of the boat, but also to pivot forwardly. Thus,if the attachment point were not moved, it would be possible for themast 20 to pivot freely laterally and forward to collapse in a wellforward position.

Once the mast has collapsed, especially in a forward position, it isdifficult to impossible to reerect it. because of the weight of wetsails and the mast itself and the usual lack of standing positions fromwhich sufficient leverage can be applied to the mast, It is difficultenough to erect the mast alone, without sails, under the best ofconditions. If the mast were permitted to collapse during the rightingprocess, the boat would ordinarily become at least a temporary derelictoften requiring external rescue operations to bring it to shore.

The amount of lengthening of the upper shroud 24 determines the amountby which the upper hull 14 can be moved in free rotation of the lowerboat portion before actual lifting of the mast begins. A moderate amountof lengthening will aid considerably in righting the boat, even if theposition of the upper hull 14 does not fully move past or only slightlymoves past the center of the lower hull 16. It is also possible toprovide a great enough lengthening so that the boat will right itself.After the boat is righted, it can be sailed, although quiteinefficiently, with the mast tilted away from an upright position.However, it is generally desirable to return the mast to its uprightposition, by shortening the shroud that was earlier lengthened and byreattaching the lower end of the shroud to its original attach point.

The righting apparatus 50, which is shown in greater detail in FIG. 7,includes a rigid arm 52 with a rearward end 54 pivotally mounted on thelower boat portion 12 and with a forward end having an eye 56 that isattached to the lower end of the original shroud cable 24. The forwardend of the arm 52 is normally held down to the lower boat portion by alatch 58. When the latch 58 is released, tension in the shroud cable 24lifts it up and causes the arm 52 to pivot to the position shown at 24a.In this position, the shroud cable 24a, which now includes the originalshroud cable 24 and the arm 52, has been lengthened by the length of thearm 52, and has been moved aft to the pivot point of arm 52. After theboat has been righted, the mast can be returned to its original uprightposition by pivoting the arm 52 back to its original position andreengaging the latch 58. The provision of a stiff pivoted arm 52facilitates the manipulation of the shroud cable 24 to its originallatched position.

It should be understood, as is indicated in FIG. 2, that in addition tothe righting apparatus 50 on hull 14, a duplicate righting apparatuswill ordinarily be provided on the other hull 16 so that, if thecatamaran capsizes in the other direction with hull 14 in the water, theduplicate righting apparatus on hull 16 can be actuated so as to rightthe boat.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate another righting mechanism which facilitatesthe lengthening of the shroud cable that is out of the water and whichmoves its attachment point aft. The mechanism 70 includes an additionalcable length 72 with one end 74 attached to the lower boat portion aftof the attachment point of the original shroud cable 24. The additionalcable 72 has a forward end attached to a shroud adjuster coupling 76that is attached to the lower portion of the original shroud cable 24.When the lower end of the shroud cable 24 is released, its length isincreased by the length of the additional cable 72, and its attach pointis moved aft to the attach point 74.

The coupling 76 may be of a conventional type comprising a brackethaving two parallel plates having a plurality of aligned holes throughwhich pins are selectively placed to serve as linkage points for thevarious cables which are attached to the coupling. The coupling 76 whichis attached to the shroud cable 24 is held down by an operating cable 78which extends around a pulley 80, through a catch 82, and forwardly to ahandle 84. The pulley 80 is rotatably mounted on a catch block 86 whichis tied down to the lower boat portion by a swivel fastener 88. Theoperating cable 78 has a ball catch 90 mounted thereon which is normallyheld by the catch 82 of the catch block. Engagement of the ball 90 withthe catch 82 prevents the operating cable 78 from moving along thepulley 80 to lengthen the shroud cable 24. However, when a crewmanreleases the ball 90 from the catch 82, the operating cable 78 is freeto move around the pulley and thereby release the shroud cable 24, sothat the shroud cable can move upwardly until it is held only by theadditional cable 72.

After the boat has been righted, a crewman normally operates therighting mechanism 70 to return the mast to an upright position. This isaccomplished by the crewman grasping the handle 84 and pulling itupwardly. When the handle 84 is pulled, the operating cable pulls downthe coupling 76 and the shroud 24. When the operating cable has beenpulled far enough so that the ball 90 passes the catch 82 the ball 90can be reengaged with the catch 82 so that the shroud 24 is held in itsoriginal position.

FIG. a illustrates a modified form of righting mechanism, similar tothat illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, except that it includes a pulleyarrangement 200 for providing a mechanical advantage to facilitate theoperation of the mechanism. The pulley mechanism 200 includes a movablepulley 202 coupled by a bracket 204 to the operating cable 78 andcoupled by a force increasing cable 206 to another pulley 208. Thepulley 208 is pivotally mounted on a bracket 210 that is fastened to thedeck of the boat. The cable 206 has one end 212 fastened to the bracket204, and the cable 206 extends around the pulley 208, around the otherpulley 202, and extends through a handle 214. When a crewman pullsrearwardly or with an upward directional component on the handle 214, heobtains a mechanical advantage in applying tension to the operatingcable 78 to move the mast back to an upright position. This ar rangementis especially useful for larger boats, where large tensions may have tobe applied to the shroud cable in order to return the mast to itsoriginal upright position. Of course, multiple pulleys may be utilizedto obtain even greater mechanical advantage.

FIG. 10b illustrates yet another righting mechanism 120 which isarranged to provide a mechanical advantage and to provide a self-lockingtoggle action. The mechanism 120 includes a lever I22 pivotally mountedat 124 on the lower boat portion and having a handle 126 which can bemoved by a crewman. The mechanism includes an operating cable 78 whichextends around a deck-mounted pulley and which has one end connected toa coupling 76 that holds the shroud cable 24. The cable 78 has anotherend 128 which is connected to the lever 122 at a location inbetween thelever pivot point 124 and the lever handle 126. When a crewman wishes torelease the shroud cable 124 to right the boat, he merely lifts thelever handle 126 to release the operating cable 78 to allow lengtheningof the shroud cable 24. When the crewman wishes to retighten the shroudcable 24, he grasps the lever handle 126 and returns it to its originalposition as shown in FIG. 10b. This lever arrangement. provides amechanical advantage that allows the crewman to apply a large tensionforce to the operating cable 78 and cable shroud 24. In addtion, thelever acts as a toggle clamp which obviates the necessity for providinga separate latch to hold down the lever. That is, when the lever ismoved to the position shown in FIG. 10b, tension in the cable tends toretain the lever in this position. The lever 122 can, however, bereleased by applying only a moderate upward force at the handle 126.

FIG. 10c illustrates yet another righting mechanism 140, which employs aconventional winch, to apply tension to an operating cable 78 and torelease it. The winch includes a conventional winch drum 144 aroundwhich the cable 142 can be wound, a handle 146 for rotating the drum,and conventional pawls (not shown) for preventing unwinding of the drumuntil the pawls are released. The operating cable 78 extends around adeck-mounted pulley 80 to the coupling 76 which is attached to theshroud cable 24. As in the other righting mechanisms, an additionalcable 72 is provided which extends between the coupling 76 and a decklocation 30a which is aft of the original attachment position 30 at thepulley 80, so that when the operating cable 78 is released the cableshroud 24 extends towards the new attach point at 30a.

In catamaran boats, the mast of the catamaran is normally supported in asimple universal mount which permits the mast to be tilted to a certainextent in any direction. Thus, for example, in one of the most commontypes of mounting systems, the bottom of the mast is equipped with aball which engages with a matching socket mounted on the deck of thecatamaran. The prior art types of mast mounting systems allow for foreand aft tilting of the mast as may be required in raking the mast intuning operation to obtain greater sailing speed. The prior art mountsalso permit full tilting of the mast as may be required in erection andtake down of the mast. They also permit substantial athwartship orsideways tilting of the mast and therefore may be used in the practiceof the righting method and apparatus of the present invention.

However, because universal mast mounts of the prior art are notspecifically designed to permit tilting of the mast, as may be desirablein the practice of the righting method of the present invention, suchprior art devices may in such use present several deficiencies. Theymay, for example, have a tendency to permit the mast in its fully tiltedposition to pop out or slip out of its mounting socket. To compensatefor this deficiency, it is usually desirable, when using prior art mastmounts, to provide auxiliary means for capturing or retaining the bottomof the mast in position. This is done, for example, by connecting acable to the bottom of the mast and tethering the mast with the cable tothe deck so as to hold the mast bottom in position without interferingwith the operation of the universal mount. Alternatively, a redesignedmast mount may be utilized, both in new manufacture of catamarans and inretrofitting of old catamarans, which is specifically designed forutilization in the righting operation, having an integral capturingsystem and adapted to permit such sidewise tilting of the mast as may bedesirable in the righting operation.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a preferred embodiment of a universal mastmount 100 is illustrated. As shown in FIG. 6, the mast is held in thesimple universal mount 100, the mount being formed by a convexly roundedlower end 102 of the mast and a concavely rounded socket member 104,which is mounted on the deck 18 of the universal mount, and whichpermits the mast to pivot to either side, through tilt angles of to 40without interference. As shown in FIG. 6, a capturing device 106 ismounted on joint 100 to prevent the lower end of the mast from leavingthe socket 104 during righting operations. The capturing device 106includes a short length of cable 108 held by a fastener 110 to the lowerend of the mast and fastened by a quick-disconnect cotter pin 111 to alarge washer 112 at its other end, which lies below the socket member104. The cable 108 is long enough so that it is loose and does notinterfere with the free pivoting of the mast is its socket. However, thecable 108 limits upward and sideward translation of the lower mast endwhich could otherwise cause the mast to slip out or pop out of its sockct during righting operations.

It is clear that the invention provides a relatively simple mechanismwhich can be utilized on a typical catamaran boat to facilitate rightingof the boat when it has capsized. The device includes apparatus forholding the shroud cables at positions that maintain the mast normallyupright, but each of the holding means being releasable to allow thelengthening of a shroud cable so that the mast is able to tip towardsthe opposite side of the boat. The apparatus also includes means forfixing the position ofa lower shroud cable to prevent the mast fromtipping primarily forwardly, so that mast tipping is confined primarilyto a lateral direction. This can be accomplished by moving the point ofattachment of the released shroud cable in an aft direction. Themechanism is designed to be operated easily by the crew (ordinar'ily bya single crewman) at a capsized catamaran or other multihull boat, toshift the position of the upper hull so that righting of the boat ismade very much easier. After righting of the boat, the shroud cables maybe rapidly replaced in their original positions, so that the mast isupright and the boat can be sailed in a normal manner.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described andillustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variationsmay readily occur to those skilled in the art and consequently, it isintended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications andequivalents.

What is claimed is:

1. In a multihull boat having a lower boat portion with first and secondoutboard hulls, a mast with a lower end universally pivotally mounted onthe lower boat portion and normally extending upwardly therefrom, and aplurality of cables extending from the 6 posite sides of the boat andwith directional components towards a second end of the boat oppositethe first end, the improvement of apparatus for facilitating therighting of the boat when it capsizes on its side with one hull out ofthe water, comprising:

first and second holding means for releaseably attaching a point at thelower end of a respective shroud cable to the lower boat portion, tomaintain the mast substantially upright for normal sailing; first andsecond tensile means, each having a forward end attached to the lowerend of a respective shroud cable and having a rearward end; and

first and second attach means for holding the rearwards ends of therespective tensile means to the lower boat portion at positions closerto the second end of the boat than said holding means, whereby when aholding means is released to allow the mast of a capsized boat to pivotaway from the hull that is out of the water, the mast is constrained topivot primarily athwarthships.

2. The improvement described in claim 1 wherein:

each of said tensile means includes an extension cable with a forwardend joined to a respective shroud cable and a rearward end held to anattach means; and

each holding means includes a pulley mounted on the lower boat portion,and an operating cable having a first end coupled to a shroud cable anda second pullable end extending about the pulley, the holding means alsoincluding a first latch portion mounted on the lower boat portion and asecond latch portion attached to the operating cable and releaseablyengaged with the first latch portion, the latch portions beingdisengageable to allow the shroud cable to release upwardly until onlythe extension cable is tensioned to couple the shroud cable to the lowerboat portion, and the pullable section of the operating cable beingpullable to return the shroud cable back to its original position sothat the latch portions can engage again.

3. The improvement described in claim 1 wherein:

each of said tensile means includes a lever having a first end attachedto a shroud cable and a second end pivotally mounted on one of saidtensile attach means.

4. The improvement described in claim 1 wherein:

each of said tensile means includes an extension cable with a forwardend joined to a respective shroud cable and a rearward end held to anattach means; and

each holding means includes a pulley mounted on the lower boat portion,and an operating cable having a first end coupled to a shroud cable anda second pullable end extending around the pulley;

and further including means for tensioning the pullable second endportion of said operating cable to hold the mast to an erect position;and

means for releasing the tension on said pullable end portion of saidoperating cable to permit the shroud cable to release upwardly untilonly the extension cable is tensioned to couple the shroud cable to thelower boat portion.

5. The improvement described in claim 4 wherein said means fortensioning the second end portion of said operating cable includesmechanical advantage apparatus coupled to the second end portion of theoperating cable for multiplying manually applied tensioning force.

6. The improvement described in claim 4 wherein said means fortensioning the second end portion of said operating cable includes areleasable catch for normally locking said operating cable in a fixedposition to maintain tension in said shroud cable.

7. In a multihull boat having a lower boat portion with first and secondoutboard hulls, a mast with a lower end universally pivotally mounted onthe lower boat portion and normally extending upwardly therefrom, and aplurality of mast supporting cables extending from the upper end of themast to the lower boat portion, including a stay cable extending towarda first end of the boat and a pair of shroud cables extending topredetermined attachment positions on opposite sides of the boat andwith directional components towards a second end of the boat oppositethe first end, the improvement of apparatus for facilitating therighting of the boat when it capsizes on its side with one hull out ofthe water, comprising:

first means coupled to the shroud cable that is out of the water andmanually operable for releasing the shroud cable from its predeterminedattachment position; and

second means coupled to said first means and responsive to operation ofsaid first means for lengthening the shroud cable a predetermined amountand coupling the lengthened shroud cable to a new attachment positionwhich is closer to the second end of the boat than the predeterminedattachment position,

whereby the lower boat portion and the mast of a capsized boat arepermitted and constrained to tilt primarily sidewise with respect toeach other to facilitate righting of the capsized boat and preventforward collapse of the tilted mast.

8. The improvement defined in claim 7 wherein said second means includesreturning apparatus manually operable for substantially simultaneouslyreshortening the shroud cable to its original length and reattaching theshroud cable to its predetermined attachment position to thereby permitreerection of the mast from a sidewise tilted position.

9. The improvement defined in claim 7 in which said second meansincludes a tensile member having substantial length and having a firstend portion thereof coupled to the shroud cable adjacent itspredetermined attachment position and a second end portion thereofcoupled to the new attachment position.

10. The improvement defined in claim 9 in which said tensile memberincludes a lever having a first end portion attached to the shroud cableand releasably at tached to the lower boat portion and a second endportion pivotally mounted adjacent the new attachment position.

11. A multihull boat easily rightable after it has capsized on its sidewith one hull out of the water, comprismg:

a lower boat portion with first and second outboard hulls;

a mast with a lower end universally pivotally mounted on the lower boatportion and normally extending upwardly therefrom;

a plurality of mast supporting cables extending from the upper end ofthe mast to the lower boat portion, including a stay cable extendingtoward a first end of the boat and a pair of shroud cables extendingtowards predetermined attachment positions on opposite sides of the boatand with directional components towards a second end of the boatopposite the first end;

first means coupled to the shroud cable that is out of the water andmanually operable for releasing the shroud cable from its predeterminedattachment position;

and second means coupled to said first means and responsive to operationof said first means for lengthening the shroud cable a predeterminedamount and coupling the lengthened shroud cable to a new attachmentposition which is closer to the second end of the boat than thepredetermined attachment position,

whereby the lower boat portion and the mast of a capsized boat arepermitted and constrained to tilt primarily sidewise with respect toeach other to facilitate righting of the capsized boat and preventforward collapse of the tilted mast. 12. A method for righting amultihull boat which has capsized and which includes a mast buoyant atthe top and free to pivot in any direction on the deck and normallymaintained upright on the deck between first and second opposite hullsby cables extending downwardly from the upper portion of the mast to thehull and deck assembly, including a stay cable extending forwardly and apair of shroud cables extending with an aft direction component and inopposite laterally directions, comprising:

releasing the lower end of the shroud, which lies out of the water, fromthe hull and. deck assembly, and adding a length of a tensile memberthereto which is fixed to the hull and deck assembly at a location aftof the position at which the lower end of said shroud was originallyattached to the hull and deck assembly, whereby to allow the mast to tipaway from the hull that is out of the water while preventing the mastfrom merely tipping forward, so that the hull that is furthest out ofthe water can move to a position where its weight does not preventuprighting of the boat.

13. In a catamaran boat having a lower boat structure with a pair ofbulls coupled by a center member, a mast with a lower end pivotallymounted on the lower boat structure and having a buoyant upper portion,a stay cable extending downwardly from the upper portion of the mast ina forward direction, and a pair of shroud cables extending downwardlyfrom the upper portion of the mast in largely opposite lateraldirection, the improvement of apparatus for righting the boat after ithas capsized, comprising:

first and second maintaining means mounted on the lower boat structurefor maintaining the lower portions of the respective shroud. cables atpositions rearward of the mast pivot location, to thereby hold the mastagainst pivoting to either side as well as against pivoting forwardly,each of said means being operable to release its respective shroud cablea predetermined amount to thereby permit the mast to tilt a limitedamount towards the opposite side of the boat; and

fixing means operable in conjunction with said maintaining means, forfixing the position of a lower portion of one of said shrouds to preventthe mast from tipping primarily forwardly, said fixing means including alength of cable with a first end connected to the lower end of a shroudcable and a second end attached to the lower boat structure at alocation behind a corresponding maintaining means.

14. In a catamaran boat having a lower boat structure with a pair ofhulls coupled by a center member, a mast with a lower end pivotallymounted on the lower boat structure and having a buoyant upper portion,a stay cable extending downwardly from the upper portion of the mast ina forward direction, and a pair of shroud cables extending downwardlyfrom the upper portion of the mast in largely opposite lateraldirection, the improvement of apparatus for righting the boat after ithas capsized, comprising:

first and second maintaining means mounted on the lower boat structurefor maintaining the lower portions of the respective shroud cables atpositions rearward of the mast pivot location, to thereby hold the mastagainst pivoting to either side as well as against pivoting forwardly,each of said means being operable to release its respective shroud cablea predetermined amount to thereby permit the mast to tilt a limitedamount towards the opposite side of the boat;

fixing means operable in conjunction with said maintaining means, forfixing the position of a lower portion of one of said shrouds to preventthe mast from tipping primarily forwardly;

said mast having a lower end pivotally mounted on said lower boatportion, and including a retainer cable having a first end fastened tothe mast near the lower end thereof and a second end fastened to thelower boat portion near the support position of the mast to therebyprevent the mast from leaving its pivotal mount.

1. In a multihull boat having a lower boat portion with first and secondoutboard hulls, a mast with a lower end universally pivotally mounted onthe lower boat portion and normally extending upwardly therefrom, and aplurality of cables extending from the upper end of the mast to thelower boat portion, including a stay cable extending towards a first endof the boat and a pair of shroud cables extending towards opposite sidesof the boat and with directional components towards a second end of theboat opposite the first end, the improvement of apparatus forfacilitating the righting of the boat when it capsizes on its side withone hull out of the water, comprising: first and second holding meansfor releaseably attaching a point at the lower end of a respectiveshroud cable to the lower boat portion, to maintain the mastsubstantially upright for normal sailing; first and second tensilemeans, each having a forward end attached to the lower end of arespective shroud cable and having a rearward end; and first and secondattach means for holding the rearwards ends of the respective tensilemeans to the lower boat portion at positions closer to the second end ofthe boat than said holding means, whereby when a holding means isreleased to allow the mast of a capsized boat to pivot away from thehull that is out of the water, the mast is constrained to pivotprimarily athwarthships.
 2. The improvement described in claim 1wherein: each of said tensile means includes an extension cable with aforward end joined to a respective shroud cable and a rearward end heldto an attach means; and each holding means includes a pulley mounted onthe lower boat portion, and an operating cable having a first endcoupled to a shroud cable and a second pullable end extending about thepulley, the holding means also including a first latch portion mountedon the lower boat portion and a second latch portion attached to theoperating cable and releaseably engaged with the first latch portion,the latch portions being disengageable to allow the shroud cable torelease upwardly until only the extension cable is tensioned to couplethe shroud cable to the lower boat portion, and the pullable section ofthe operating cable being pullable to return the shroud cable back toits original position so that the latch portions can engage again. 3.The improvement described in claim 1 wherein: each of said tensile meansincludes a lever having a first end attached to a shroud cable and asecond end pivotally mounted on one of said tensile attach means.
 4. Theimprovement described in claim 1 wherein: each of said tensile meansincludes an extension cable with a forward end joined to a respectiveshroud cable and a rearward end held to an attach means; and eachholding means includes a pulley mounted on the lower boat portion, andan operating cable having a first end coupled to a shroud cable and asecond pullable end extending around the pulley; and further includingmeans for tensioning the pullable second end portion of said Operatingcable to hold the mast to an erect position; and means for releasing thetension on said pullable end portion of said operating cable to permitthe shroud cable to release upwardly until only the extension cable istensioned to couple the shroud cable to the lower boat portion.
 5. Theimprovement described in claim 4 wherein said means for tensioning thesecond end portion of said operating cable includes mechanical advantageapparatus coupled to the second end portion of the operating cable formultiplying manually applied tensioning force.
 6. The improvementdescribed in claim 4 wherein said means for tensioning the second endportion of said operating cable includes a releasable catch for normallylocking said operating cable in a fixed position to maintain tension insaid shroud cable.
 7. In a multihull boat having a lower boat portionwith first and second outboard hulls, a mast with a lower enduniversally pivotally mounted on the lower boat portion and normallyextending upwardly therefrom, and a plurality of mast supporting cablesextending from the upper end of the mast to the lower boat portion,including a stay cable extending toward a first end of the boat and apair of shroud cables extending to predetermined attachment positions onopposite sides of the boat and with directional components towards asecond end of the boat opposite the first end, the improvement ofapparatus for facilitating the righting of the boat when it capsizes onits side with one hull out of the water, comprising: first means coupledto the shroud cable that is out of the water and manually operable forreleasing the shroud cable from its predetermined attachment position;and second means coupled to said first means and responsive to operationof said first means for lengthening the shroud cable a predeterminedamount and coupling the lengthened shroud cable to a new attachmentposition which is closer to the second end of the boat than thepredetermined attachment position, whereby the lower boat portion andthe mast of a capsized boat are permitted and constrained to tiltprimarily sidewise with respect to each other to facilitate righting ofthe capsized boat and prevent forward collapse of the tilted mast. 8.The improvement defined in claim 7 wherein said second means includesreturning apparatus manually operable for substantially simultaneouslyreshortening the shroud cable to its original length and reattaching theshroud cable to its predetermined attachment position to thereby permitreerection of the mast from a sidewise tilted position.
 9. Theimprovement defined in claim 7 in which said second means includes atensile member having substantial length and having a first end portionthereof coupled to the shroud cable adjacent its predeterminedattachment position and a second end portion thereof coupled to the newattachment position.
 10. The improvement defined in claim 9 in whichsaid tensile member includes a lever having a first end portion attachedto the shroud cable and releasably attached to the lower boat portionand a second end portion pivotally mounted adjacent the new attachmentposition.
 11. A multihull boat easily rightable after it has capsized onits side with one hull out of the water, comprising: a lower boatportion with first and second outboard hulls; a mast with a lower enduniversally pivotally mounted on the lower boat portion and normallyextending upwardly therefrom; a plurality of mast supporting cablesextending from the upper end of the mast to the lower boat portion,including a stay cable extending toward a first end of the boat and apair of shroud cables extending towards predetermined attachmentpositions on opposite sides of the boat and with directional componentstowards a second end of the boat opposite the first end; first meanscoupled to the shroud cable that is out of the water and manuallyoperable for releasing the shroud cable from its predeterminedattachment Position; and second means coupled to said first means andresponsive to operation of said first means for lengthening the shroudcable a predetermined amount and coupling the lengthened shroud cable toa new attachment position which is closer to the second end of the boatthan the predetermined attachment position, whereby the lower boatportion and the mast of a capsized boat are permitted and constrained totilt primarily sidewise with respect to each other to facilitaterighting of the capsized boat and prevent forward collapse of the tiltedmast.
 12. A method for righting a multihull boat which has capsized andwhich includes a mast buoyant at the top and free to pivot in anydirection on the deck and normally maintained upright on the deckbetween first and second opposite hulls by cables extending downwardlyfrom the upper portion of the mast to the hull and deck assembly,including a stay cable extending forwardly and a pair of shroud cablesextending with an aft direction component and in opposite laterallydirections, comprising: releasing the lower end of the shroud, whichlies out of the water, from the hull and deck assembly, and adding alength of a tensile member thereto which is fixed to the hull and deckassembly at a location aft of the position at which the lower end ofsaid shroud was originally attached to the hull and deck assembly,whereby to allow the mast to tip away from the hull that is out of thewater while preventing the mast from merely tipping forward, so that thehull that is furthest out of the water can move to a position where itsweight does not prevent uprighting of the boat.
 13. In a catamaran boathaving a lower boat structure with a pair of hulls coupled by a centermember, a mast with a lower end pivotally mounted on the lower boatstructure and having a buoyant upper portion, a stay cable extendingdownwardly from the upper portion of the mast in a forward direction,and a pair of shroud cables extending downwardly from the upper portionof the mast in largely opposite lateral direction, the improvement ofapparatus for righting the boat after it has capsized, comprising: firstand second maintaining means mounted on the lower boat structure formaintaining the lower portions of the respective shroud cables atpositions rearward of the mast pivot location, to thereby hold the mastagainst pivoting to either side as well as against pivoting forwardly,each of said means being operable to release its respective shroud cablea predetermined amount to thereby permit the mast to tilt a limitedamount towards the opposite side of the boat; and fixing means operablein conjunction with said maintaining means, for fixing the position of alower portion of one of said shrouds to prevent the mast from tippingprimarily forwardly, said fixing means including a length of cable witha first end connected to the lower end of a shroud cable and a secondend attached to the lower boat structure at a location behind acorresponding maintaining means.
 14. In a catamaran boat having a lowerboat structure with a pair of hulls coupled by a center member, a mastwith a lower end pivotally mounted on the lower boat structure andhaving a buoyant upper portion, a stay cable extending downwardly fromthe upper portion of the mast in a forward direction, and a pair ofshroud cables extending downwardly from the upper portion of the mast inlargely opposite lateral direction, the improvement of apparatus forrighting the boat after it has capsized, comprising: first and secondmaintaining means mounted on the lower boat structure for maintainingthe lower portions of the respective shroud cables at positions rearwardof the mast pivot location, to thereby hold the mast against pivoting toeither side as well as against pivoting forwardly, each of said meansbeing operable to release its respective shroud cable a predeterminedamount to thereby permit the mast to tilt a limited amount towards theopposite side of the boat; fixing means operable in conjunction withsaid maintaining means, for fixing the position of a lower portion ofone of said shrouds to prevent the mast from tipping primarilyforwardly; said mast having a lower end pivotally mounted on said lowerboat portion, and including a retainer cable having a first end fastenedto the mast near the lower end thereof and a second end fastened to thelower boat portion near the support position of the mast to therebyprevent the mast from leaving its pivotal mount.